Scrappy trips blocks 57 through 60

 I am getting close to having all of the scrappy trips blocks done....

 These are for my scrappy trip around the world quilt using a tutorial from Bonnie Hunter.....

This quilt will have all Sandy Gervais fabrics in the blocks....

I am working on the last four blocks and I will post when they are finished....

The flickr group is growing and it is fun to see what others are doing....
I think everyone should join in the fun.........

I am linking to Pat Sloan's Show and Tell.
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Trip to the country

Oh yes....look at that lovely peaceful scene!!!

 This past week we took a trip to the country....
It was late in the afternoon and the shadows were so wonderful...

 photos taken in Pine Hills outside of Julian....
Just love this area......it always triggers me to want to buy a place out here again!!!

This photo was taken from the car as we were speeding along by Lake Cuyamaca....
The photo is Lake Cuyamaca Restaurant in the shadows...
We had just been to the restaurant to check it out...
Franz retired in January and we wanted to see what it was like now.....
but it was CLOSED.....we will have to learn the new hours that it is open....
So we ate in Julian at the Rongbranch....delicious!
This is about 100 miles round trip from our house.....but oh so worth the drive!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Eiffel tower runner on Eiffel tower table

Several weeks ago I posted about a runner I was making...
So here is the runner on the trunk on the Eiffel tower table at Stamp Delights....

 Debbie has a Paris/travel theme throughout the store.....very fun store to visit...

 I wrote a lot of positive words throughout the runner....

You can find her blog here

I am linking to Pat Sloan's Show and Tell.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

tutorial for cardmaking with stitching

 Here is a card I made several days ago and I learned a lot in the process...

I haven't made any cards for awhile and had no idea what I was going to make...
I have a hard time coming up with my own design and need to get ideas from other people ...
To start I decided to pick a flower stamp and stamp on fabric and stitch the lines...
(I had done this with another flower stamp on fabric in Dec 2010.)
For the top and back I used antique dots fabric and batting between the layers...
I stamped with Fabrico sky mist fabric ink on both of the fabrics stamped on this card...
the thread on the flower is Rainbow #838 varigated...

Stamps I used for this card:
Hero Arts CG134
Hero Arts CG119
Memory Box B1354
Verses MC0330-D

After stitching I applied Smooch grape soda accent pearlized ink (has an applicator)...
I like the way it shows the dots in the fabric....the photo shows it applied on one petal...
I used Smooch gold lame for the center....
Distress Ink dusty concord for the saying and butterfly....
I looked on flickr for inspiration and got an idea from jillianavery8222
here
I stitched the fabrics by folding it over a piece of cardstock...
then I used a paper strip of Memory Box enchanted in the center to cover the fabric ends...

Things I need to do better next time:

• figure out a way to keep the fabric tight to the back of the cardstock before stitching 
• trim off the corners of the fabric to take away the bulk
• check my thread so I don't run out at a spot that shows on the card
• use a different stitch to put on the center paper that isn't so close together
• be sure to check if all of the center is stitched before stopping
• find a button for the center of the flower
• add some glitter or sparkle
• lightly smear some ink around the edges of the small paper with the words

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

scrappy trips blocks 53 through 56

 It is time to show some more scrappy trips blocks...

 I have changed to putting the dark blocks in a different place on the block...
going from top left to bottom right............

 I am still continuing with all Sandy Gervais fabrics in these blocks...

It is a lot of fun to see other scrappy trips quilts all over the internet and flickr!!
I am linking with Pat Sloan's Show and Tell!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Eiffel tower runner

Yesterday I started making a runner for Debbie's stamp store (Stamp Delights).....

she will put it on top of a trunk that sits on an eiffel tower table......

The top photo is stitching along the top edge with stitch #4 on my Bernina....

Here is a closeup of the stitch at a corner with settings at 2 width and 0.5 length.............
I forgot to get photos of the back fabric....later....

I used fleece between the layers and sewed them right sides together and turned to topstitch..
Next I will sew in the words chosen by Debbie in the light areas of the fabric.....
I will do that this weekend..........

The past weeks I have been watching a lot of March Madness basketball games...both men and women.....
It will all end next Tuesday.....cheering on Skylar Diggins to win the championship!!!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

March Madness

I absolutely am so excited when it is time for March Madness each year..............
We watch our SD Aztecs all through the season when they are on TV.....
AND they are one of the 64 teams that get to be in the tournament again this year........

There is something that is so EXCITING watching college basketball games...
Anyway.....I will be watching games whenever I can!!
Who else will be watching? 
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

I added another stamp display case!

 I got another stamp display case from Debbie at Stamp Delights....
She has moved her store and doesn't need these now.....
I actually found room for them that I didn't think I had!!...
We took the backs off of the cases because they are in front of a mirrored wall....

 My last post I showed what it looked like before with the storage containers on the desktop...
Here are two of them stacked on the floor over by the window behind my chair...works out fine...
That window looks out to the side wall...so glad to fill in the space....

I put a few things on the desk in front of the display case...
My paint holder that I painted in class many years ago....
and my cuttlebug sits there okay....they don't block my view of the stamps.....
I am loving my new arrangement. 

I am linking to Connie at Freemotion by the River.
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

stamp display case and more

 I was so lucky to get a stamp display case when Debbie at Stamp Delights no longer needed this display case......

I have it sitting on a desk in front of a mirrored wall.....

and I will be getting another one to sit beside it!

Here is the top of the desk as it was before the display case....

I found other spots for all three of these....

And here is a photo of some of the tiny pieces I am working on a block for the

Rancher's Daughter quilt along....

My desk with my creative journal page and iPad looking at pinterest! 

Last photo is my back patio outside my room where I sew/quilt/craft/create...............
My pansies are looking so pretty and the slope is starting to bloom after the rain and the nice sunshine!
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

adding another jelly roll for more scrappy trips blocks

 In this post are blocks 49 through 52........

 I opened another jelly roll....Flirt by Sandy Gervais..........

 These are a lot lighter in color....but I love the variety of all the blocks so far!

 I decided to start adding in the other jelly roll fabric lines with the Flirt...

Finally I discovered if I sew the strips of blocks in a reverse order...then I have the dark going the opposite way.....and I will need it going that way in half of the blocks....
I can also turn the blocks to the side to get the dark to go from top left to lower right...
I am still having fun with these and enjoying this process with no rush......

Join in the fun....and check out the photos on flickr...awesome quilts in this group....

I am joining Connie at Freemotion by the River for Linky Party Tuesday!
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

scrappy trips blocks 46 through 48

 This is one of my favorite blocks of my scrappy trips blocks so far....

 I am mixing up the different fabric lines of Sandy Gervais jelly rolls....

I have ordered a new Sandy Gervais jelly roll and can't wait to get it....
I thought I needed another fabric line to add to this quilt............

The flickr group Scrappy Trip Along now has grown to 1,033 members...
such fun to see all the colorful quilts.....
I am linking with Connie at Freemotion by the River for Linky Party Tuesday!
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Rancher's Daughter Quilt Along blocks 2 through 5

I blogged on February 3rd about the first block I did in the quilt along

that is going on at The Scrappy Appleyard....

 I started using Once Upon a Christmas fabric by Susan Winget.......

 I used that fabric in the first three blocks.....

 For the fourth block I switched to Star of Wonder fabric by Nancy Halvorsen....

The fifth block is back to Susan Winget fabric.....
I am linking to John'aLee's blog with the blocks I have done so far....
There is also a flickr group with photos...
Join in this fun quilt along....it isn't too late to start...
Smiles and hugs....Caryl